Are Video Games Really Educational?

[shadowmaks]

I know that this might seem really silly. I for one think this is true, in fact I call myself living proof they are. So, what do you think of this.

[quietchat]

If they are, they didn't help you any. You don't have an argument, a reason for this discussion, why you feel so on so forth, or even if you think it applies to every videogame.

[giovanni r]

I really don't play them but no they aren't

[Lince]

If they have any sort of educational value then yes.
If they're Halo then no.

[suigintou]

Well, some games are made to be educational, so those ones obviously are.

Other games don't teach you very much other than better hand-eye coordination, but anything similar could do the same thing, like just working in general. I guess they can also help your reaction time.

Games that are heavy in text can help someone to strengthen their reading skills.

But all in all, games are not a good way to learn, even if they do sometimes have a tiny bit of educational value. You could learn faster by doing things other ways.

[Anime_Dude]

Originally Posted by shadowmaks

I know that this might seem really silly. I for one think this is true, in fact I call myself living proof they are. So, what do you think of this.

Were/What is this proof of urs?
I dont see any

[Dolly]

While I don't consider video games a primary source of learning, you can learn a surprising amount from them--depending on the game, obviously. While things are exaggerated, you can learn a slew of historical facts through games such as Medal of Honor and Call of Duty.

In some more, what I would call, games of immersion, you can learn a great deal psychologically. That's what next-gen games are kind of trying to accomplish more often than not, realism and closeness to a human mentality. What does this teach exactly? Well, a variation of things, really.

A more involved learning of the way we "think" as humans. A handful of games pride themselves in this sort of accuracy. Mind you, the entire thing can be made folly from players who just want to beat the game and enjoy the pixels. Which is more often than not the case. But still, the possibility is there.

[hubbabubba]

ya all of them are in a way, they are widly considered an interactive art for, they teach a vast majority of todays teens about other cultures, and without gta i wouldnt know to whip out my rpg if a helicopter is chasing me.

[shadowmaks]

Wow, there are a lot opinions on this. Dolly, you are right in a small or large way. Well, there is this one game I have called Persona 3. I learned more things in this game than I did in about 1 months worth of school. I learned about the Tarot cards and what each card is and stands for. Then there is the way "magic" came to be like dousing and the tarot cards. They even talk about mythical beings from all the countries around the world and science things like the center of the Earth spins faster than the speed of sound. The list just keeps going and I'm not even half done with the game yet.

[Mugen]

Originally Posted by suigintou

Well, some games are made to be educational, so those ones obviously are.

Other games don't teach you very much other than better hand-eye coordination, but anything similar could do the same thing, like just working in general. I guess they can also help your reaction time.

Games that are heavy in text can help someone to strengthen their reading skills.

But all in all, games are not a good way to learn, even if they do sometimes have a tiny bit of educational value. You could learn faster by doing things other ways.

Like Leapfrog? I love that learning facility.